The labour dispute between the nation’s largest air-carrier and its flight attendants is about to boil over into a full blown strike.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) served 72 hour strike notice to the airline last night, meaning a strike could start as soon as Saturday morning.
Not long after being served with the strike notice, Air Canada served the union with “lock out” notice. The airline announced it will start cancelling flights tomorrow, as they try a gradual shut down before the strike on Saturday.
CUPE represents 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge. Air Canada Jazz which flies between Fort McMurray and Calgary may not be affected.
The Fort McMurray Airport has released a statement:
“The Fort McMurray Airport Authority is closely monitoring ongoing negotiations between our valued airline partner, Air Canada, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Air Canada Jazz, which operates our service to Calgary, is not expected to be affected by a potential flight attendant strike. However, our nonstop service to Toronto, operated by Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge, could be impacted. Passengers’ connecting flights with Air Canada or Air Canada Rouge at other airports could also be delayed or cancelled. We encourage passengers to visit the airline’s website and review any direct communication from Air Canada for details on flight changes, cancellations, or options to reschedule travel in the coming days. For up-to-date flight status, please visit flyymm.com.”
As of publication of this article, no new talks are planned between the two sides.
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